2025 Disability Health Action Summit

The Arc of Pennsylvania is excited to announce the 2nd annual in-person Disability Health Action Summit. The event is taking place on March 19, 2025 at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey hotel and registration is now open! The theme of the day will be Advancing Health Equity for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

People with disabilities have long been experiencing health disparities. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, came worsened health outcomes for people with disabilities. It also brought about much needed attention and funds to research the emerging health disparities. The Arc of Pennsylvania was provided funds through the Pennsylvania Department of Health to do just that, and the results of the three-year long project are what prompted this summit. Years of previous research on this topic was further reinforced by the findings from the Arc of PA’s Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among People with Disabilities. Consequently, the need for a conference dedicated exclusively to addressing health equity for people with disabilities became apparent. The Disability Health Action Summit was made possible by a grant from The Foundation for Enhancing Communities – Pennsylvania Disability Advocacy Fund. (Download a pdf flyer)

This conference seeks to dive deeper into four major focus areas: (1) Education of Medical Professionals, (2) Elevating the Voices of Self Advocates, (3) Policy Changes, and (4) Advancing Dental Care.

This is an in-person only event at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey hotel, with no option to attend or present virtually.

Purchase tickets at the bottom of this page.  Registration closes March 10, 2025!

Disability Health Action Summit Schedule

Wednesday March 19, 2025:

8:00 am – 8:30am       Registration

8:30 am – 8:45 am      Welcome

8:45 am – 9:00 am      Opening

• • Keynote Speaker: Dr. Mark Wolff, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine

9:00 am – 10:00 am    Breakouts

• • Option A: A Far Cry from Fair – Jessica Jarvis, FISA Foundation
  • Option B: Creating Planes of Equity: Our Journeys to Wellness – Jim Sharp, Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association

10:00 am – 10:30am   Break & Time to Visit Vendor Tables

10:30am – 11:30 am    General Session

• • Breaking Barriers: Advancing Disability and Health Equity – David Saunders, Pennsylvania Department of Health Office of Health Equity
  • Disability Health Action Network – The Arc of Pennsylvania

11:30 am – 1:00 pm     Lunch & Time to Visit Vendor Tables

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm      Breakouts

• • Option A: U.S. V. Maine: A Win for Community-Based Healthcare – Vanessa Rastović, Achieva
  • Option B: Introduction to the Special Olympics Rosemary Collaboratory Initiative in Pennsylvania – Andrea Lowe, Social Impact Studio Consulting LLC

2:00 pm – 2:15 pm      Break & Time to Visit Vendor Tables

2:15pm – 3:30 pm       Panel Discussion

3:30 pm – 3:45pm       Closing

• • Venue:

    Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel, High Pointe Commons – 4650 Lindle Rd, Harrisburg, PA 17111 ($169 per night)

    Click here to reserve hotel rooms.  Last day to book using group rate is 2/18/2025.

  • Accommodations:

    The Arc of Pennsylvania will provide accessibility accommodations requested at least 20 days in advance.

    Questions:

    Email Shaniece Ebelhar at sebelhar@thearcpa.org or call 717-234-2621 Ext 114 with questions regarding registration or the summit.

    Email Susan WoskaBond at sbond@thearcpa.org or call 717-234-2621 Ext 107 with questions regarding the hotel information.

    Request for refund must be requested by 2/21/2024